Musings of a Skeptic Oslerphile

KVPY: 5 Reasons To Apply

Well, this might seem like a stupid question to ask, but yesterday a medical student contacted me and posed before me several important queries as to the merits of busting one’s… erm, neurons… in winning the KVPY scholarship when the pressure of medical school was already too much to handle.

That got me thinking, and here we are…

Reason 5: Money Badnaam Hui!

Enough said!

Reason 4: Status Symbol!

The KVPY fellowship is one of the most coveted titles one can obtain in course of one’s college training. Having a KVPY fellowship is something mammoth to flaunt, to be honest. In fact, I know a guy who changed his email ID to something like name_kvpy (much like my friends who got into IIT or ISI after the XIIth standard did). Now for geeks like me, something that makes you rediscover your online identity is really huge!

Reason 3: Looks Good on Your CV

Obviously if something is as closely fought for as the KVPY, then winning it comes with an obvious benefit of embellishing your CV! In this day and age where almost every medical student is aspiring to hop the shores, and given the paucity of proper research opportunities at their disposal, I think KVPY can very well be a fantastic addition to one’s CV. Instead of indulging in vanity publications in journals that do not matter or for that matter, establishing a journal to fatten one’s CV (yeah, I know people who have done that!) it is much better to win something that is as highly competitive as the KVPY. And then hope that your interviewer (CV Inspector or whatever) knows what the hell this fuss is all about!

Reason 2: Networking

During my KVPY interview, I met with several people with whom I have subsequently become friends. Many of them have opted to jump shores and move off to the US, but, surprisingly, several have stayed back and pursued their careers in India. Needless to say all of them are doing really well.

The fact remains, that KVPY and the summer program associated with it has helped to bring me close to some of the best minds in medical schools in India. I have been awed by the intellectual prowess of some of them, and frankly, this has been a major influence in my efforts to expand and grow beyond the confines of my medical school.

First, let me ask you to overlook my laziness as I copy and paste extensively from the KVPY Homepage:

Privileges
Summer programs are important parts of the nurture program for KVPY Fellows. These are meant to expose the Fellows to methods of scientific research and inculcate in them an abiding interest in doing scientific research. These are normally organized during the summer vacation, when KVPY Fellows spend one or two weeks in scientific institutions listening to lectures by experts in different fields of science, engineering or medicine, see things in a research environment, science in action, watch scientists at work, interact with scientists, visit nearby scientific research laboratories and institutions, and exchange views with other research students. Sometimes Fellows with specific interest are associated with individual scientists who talk to them about their interest, help them clear their doubts, give them problem to work out, let them to do experiments, and tell them about the future scope in the area of their interest.

The Summer Program for KVPY Fellows in the Basic Science Stream is arranged either at Bangalore or Kolkata or Allahabad or Mumbai or Pune or Mohali or Trivandrum for One / Two weeks.

The Summer Program for KVPY Fellows in the Engineering Streamis organized by IIT-Bombay. The Fellows get an opportunity to work on innovative projects under the guidance of distinguished engineering faculty.

KVPY Fellows in the Medicine Streamare required to attend a summer program for two weeks or more on a mutually convenient time of the fellow and the mentor who may be identified by the fellow in consultation with ICMR, New Delhi.

Other Privileges
Each KVPY Fellow will be issued with an Identity card so as to have access to renowned National laboratories/ Universities who have agreed to extend special privileges like library, laboratory facilities to KVPY Fellows on production of the ID card.

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9 thoughts on “KVPY: 5 Reasons To Apply”

🙂 Even though I already know quite some things about it, your presentation(err…what should I call it…lol..) was just amazing. I am preparing for KVPY this year and would also try for a good project the next year. I am currently doing B.Sc(Hons.) Electronics from Sri Venkateswara College , Delhi University. I was wondering if you could tell me something about the kind of projects and the scrutiny of the projects , etc.

Hi i have entered for the KVPY 2011 sx stream and ma application status says received and to get the hall ticket i need to log in but i dont kno where to log in and how to get the hall ticket so if u can guide me through the process ill b very greatful thank you 😀

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Pranab Chatterjee

Skeptic Oslerphile, Public Health Specialist and Program Manager, Translational Global Health Policy Research Cell, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases. Past: Senior Research Associate, Public Health Foundation of India. Interests include: Emerging Infections, Public Health, Antimicrobial Resistance, One Health and Zoonoses, Diarrheal Diseases, Medical Education, Medical History, Open Access, Healthcare Social Media and Health2.0. Opinions are my own!
View all posts by Pranab Chatterjee

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